EXCLUSIVE: Lynn defends hiring moves

John Lynn, the former head of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., at his home in Ben Eoin on Thursday. (STEVE WADDEN)

Part 1 of a two-part interview with the former CEO of Enterprise Cape Breton. Tomorrow, his feelings on his years with the Crown corporation and what he believes the future holds for Cape Breton.

BEN EOIN — John Lynn first heard he had been turfed as head of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. from a reporter.

“They, in their infinite wisdom, decided to withdraw my order-in-council for cause, but they forgot to tell me first,” said Lynn, who headed the Crown corporation for five years.

Recently announced results of an investigation by the federal public sector integrity commissioner suggested Lynn seriously breached the corporation’s code of conduct by hiring four people with links to the Conservative party without proof of merit or an open competition.

“And that is simply not true,” Lynn said in an interview Thursday at his home on Bras d’Or Lake.

“Let’s get this straight; no government minister ever approached me to hire these people. They were hired because they had a unique set of skills, and it fell within my executive mandate to appoint them.”

Did the fact the individuals had Conservative ties have any bearing on whether they were appointed to the positions?

“As the head of corporation charged with encouraging economic growth in Cape Breton, I want to get the best people, and of course I knew they had Conservative connections, but that made them able to network and open the right doors,” Lynn said.

“They were appointed because they were the best suited for those positions.”

Rob Moore, the minister of state responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., told the House of Commons on Wednesday he had terminated Lynn’s appointment “with cause.”

Lynn has been on administrative leave since the investigation began last year.

On Thursday, he said he was shocked not only by the public sector integrity commissioner’s finding, but also by Moore’s announcement.

“After the minister came to Cape Breton and announced (Enterprise Cape Breton Corp.) would become a part of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and no longer stand as an independent corporation, I wrote to Mr. Moore,” he said.

Lynn said he explained to the minister he was going to retire from ECBC, effective Sept. 1.

“Since ECBC would no longer exist, it wouldn’t need a CEO.”

He said the minister wrote back, acknowledging Lynn’s notice of retirement and said, as a courtesy, he would advise Lynn before withdrawing the order-in-council.

Moore said Wednesday Lynn had been terminated effective Tuesday and that he would not be given severance. “I had no intention of collecting a severance because you can’t retire and get a severance,” Lynn said.

He received the letter withdrawing the order-in-council Thursday.

Since the government “terminated” his employment, Lynn suggested he can now pursue legal recourse but said he has not reached a decision on the possibility.